This article examines the importance of context in evaluative inquiry. Following guidelines from real-world and utilization-focused evaluation frameworks, four projects are described to illustrate one foundation's pragmatic approach to evaluation that values collaboration, methodological appropriateness, and utilization. The authors contend that…

"Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research" ("COEUR") is based on the collective experience, over many years, of Council on Undergraduate Research members who have engaged undergraduate students in research, developed undergraduate research programs, mentored new faculty to include undergraduate research in their…

This phenomenological study explored what principal investigators from the United States and Mexico experienced when engaging in cross-cultural collaborative research projects. Participants were asked to articulate their understanding of collaboration. While the principal investigators did not vary on how they defined quality of research; their…

There is a national shortage of social workers who have the knowledge and skill competencies needed for practice with our rapidly growing older adult population. In the last decade, research has identified many reasons for the lack of interest in gerontological social work and steps that could be pursued within social work education to remedy the…

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is the U.S. Government's crosscutting program that coordinates Federal research and development (R&D) activities in nanoscale science, engineering, technology, and related efforts among various participating agencies. The Federal Government launched the NNI in FY 2001 with an initial $500 million…

The overview of the research and evaluation activities sponsored or conducted by the larger school systems in the United States and Canada provides references to studies in areas of concern to educators today. As an index to research and evaluation efforts, this annotated bibliography will facilitate the exchange of information by local school…

This paper summarizes research and publications on the benefits of providing elementary and secondary school media centers and libraries in developed and developing nations. Summaries of five research studies on the impact of media centers/libraries on teaching and learning provide information on research activities in the United States and Latin…

This document contains summaries of thirty-two research projects supported by the National Center for Health Services Research (NCHSR) under authority of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. (Focus of these research projects is to describe, explain, and predict the performance of more than 200 EMS systems being established under Title…

Before presenting an analysis of vocational research and development during the last decade, an overview is given of educational research and development in general and its relationship to society and societal changes. The author's ideas are offered from different perspectives: As an educational administrator, a federal program administrator, a…